Stereopticon.



F. SCHWANHAUSSER.

STEREOPTICGN.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30. I917.

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STEREOPTICON.

APPUCATION m n NOV.-30. 19w.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

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STEREOPTICONf APPLICATION FILED N0 V. 30. l9l 7. I

'Paten ted Man 26, 1918' 3 SHEETSSHEET 3- LBUAG;

m w E V FREDERICK SGHWANHAUSSER, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

STEREOPTICON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1%18.

Application filed November 30, 1917. Serial No. 204,647.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. FREDERICK SCHWAN- riAUssER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of ludson and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Stereopticon; and l do hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear. and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereom which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to stereopticons and has for its object to provide an automatic plate shifting stereopticon wherein a large number of plates may be shown in sequence.

The invention also has for its object to provide a silently operated automatic plate shifting stercopticon, whereby the plates may be shifted with least possible noise and clatter. The invention also has in view the general improvements in stereopticons, advantages of which appear in the following description or may be suggested upon the examination of the drawings. The invention may be embodied in different forms of construction or arrangement of parts. In the drawings there is illustrated the preferred form of the structure, which, however is merely illustrative of the different forms that may contain the invention.

Figure 1 of the drawings illustrates a side view of the stercopticon selected for pur-- poses of illustration. Fig. 2 illustrates a view of the operative parts, some of the parts of the stereopticon being removed for purposes of clearness. Fig. 3 illustrates the propelling and step by step operating mechanism. Fig. 4: is an enlarged view showing the construction of the plate supporting parts and the means for yieldingly holding the plate carrier. Fig. 5 illustrates a view of a plate holder. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate dilferent positions of the plate in its transit between its normal position in the carrier and the position of exposure.

1, Fig. 1, is the supporting base on which is supported by means of standards 2, a

shaft 3 and a plate 4, a stereopticon 5. Plate carrier Wheels 6 and 7 are also supported on the shaft 3. The shaft 3 is secured in the standards 2 by means of the key-bolt 8. The carrier wheels 6 and 7 are supported beween collars 9 keyed to the shaft 3 by the key bolts 10 whereby the wheels are permitted to rotate onthe shaft 3 but longitudinal movement along the shaft is prevented by the collars 9.

Means is provided for moving the carrier wheels 6 and 7 step by step and shifting the plates into and out of exposure. This is accomplished by the motor 11 which is also supported on the base 1 and through a set of gear wheels located in a suitable gear box 12 operates to drive the gear wheel 13 at a comparatively slow rate of speed to give the desired period of exposure of the views found on the plates located in the plate holders. The gear wheel 13 is provided with means for engaging the carrier wheels from time to time to move the carriers step by step to bring the plates in the plane of the position of exposure in succession. The rangement is such that the wheels are moved alternately in the step by step operations.

In the form of construction shown, a dog 14 is secured to the gear wheel 18. The dog 14 may be in the form of a bent pin which may be adjustably secured in the boss or socket 15 formed on or secured to the gear wheel 13, while the wheels 6 and 7 are provided with as many pins 16 as there are places in the wheel carriers for the plates. When the wheel 13 moves half way around or 180, it engages a pin of one or the other of the wheel carriers to move it one step forward. The wheels 6 and 7 being placed on opposite sides of the wheel 13 the dog 14 will move the carriers alternately in the step by step movements thus produced. The

dog engaging the pins in succession will bring the plates of the carriers in the plane of position of exposure, whereupon the plate position of exposure. held 1n posltion at from one carrier may be brought into position of exposure, while the plate of the other carrier is being withdrawn from the Each wheel carrier is the end of each of its step by step movements by the spring 46 -plate holders, by the springs 35. The

which is secured to the plate 4 and which terminates in a V-shaped engaging end 47 that is yieldingly placed between a pair of adjoining pins16. The spring 46 operates to yieldingly hold the wheel carrier with which it is associated when the plates are brought in the plane of the position of exposure.

'The gear wheel 13 is also provided with means that operate to shift the plates to and from the position of exposure. In the form of the structure shown, the gear wheel 13 is provided with a cam member 17 that is secured to the under side of the gear wheel. Levers 18 are supported in brackets 19 that are located on the base 1. The levers 18 may be provided with roller bearing members 20 that roll on the surface of the cam 17 as the gear wheel 13 is rotated. Links 21 are connected to the ends of the levers 13 and also to the arms secured to the vertical moving rods 22 that pass up through the plate 4 and guiding sleeves 2-3 which are secured to theplate 4. Springs 24 are located intermediate the plate 4 and the arms 25. The springs 24 operate to yieldingly press the rods 22, the links 21 and the levers 18 downward and to press the rollers 20 against the surface of the cam 17 when it is in position to engage one or the other of the rollers 20. Arms 26 are adjustably secured to the upper ends of the rods 22. The arms 26 are provided with cam shaped hooks or dogs 27 for engaging the plates of the carrier. As the rollers 20 move off from or on to the cam 17, the cam 17 operating to raise the cam 1100 {S 27 upward, while the springs 24 operate to draw the cam hooks downward and push the rods 22 and links21 down.

The cam hooks 27 operate to shift the plates from their normal positions in the wheel carriers to the position of exposure and return them at the expiration of the period of exposure to their positions in the wheel carriers.

The plates 28 having the views that it is desired to present on a suitable screen, are supported in holders 29. Each holder 29 is provided with a U-menober 30 having a cylindrical shaped enlargement 31 which forms a guide in the rotary movements of the plate holder 29 the enlarged cylindrical portion being provided with the bearing pin 32. The plate holders are supported on the peripheries of the wheels 6 and 7 for pivotal movements of the plate holders. The pins 32 are located in teeth or fingers 33 havingchannels 34 in which the pins are placed. The pins 32 are secured in position relative to the fingers 33 and so as to permit rotary movements of the pins 32 and the springs 35 have lips 36 which may be readily forced away from the fingers 33 to permit the pins 32 to slip into the channels 34 where they are held by the springs 35,. The enlarged cylindrical portion 32 of the plate holders are located between the fingers 33 and cooperate with the bearing pins 32 to hold the plate holders in radial lines with respect to the axis. of the wheel carriers 6 and 7. The plate holders are normally supported so that they extend away from the stereopticon 5. The inner legs of the U- member of the plate holders 29 normally rest against a rib 37 located concentric with the rim 38 to which the fingers 33 are at.- tached orform a part of.

In order that the plates of the lower half of the wheel carriers may beheld in their normal positions, semi-circular strips 39 are supported on standards 40 that are also secured to the base 1. The strips 39 are provided with lips 41 to prevent engagement with the outer edges of the plate holders. The plates are secured in the holders in any suitable manner. In the construction shown. the plate holders are provided with channel members '42 that are secured as by brazing or welding to the legs of the U-member 30. The plates 28 are inserted in the channel members 42. Means is provided for securing the plates in the holders. One of the channel members 42 may be provided with a spring 43 having a lip; 44 that extends over an outer corner of the plate. This will prevent the plate from slipping from the holder. 7

In order that the plates located in the plate holders may be shifted so as to bring the platesin position of exposure by the cam hooks 27 ,the plate holders are provided with fingers 45 that extend from the enlarged portions 31. The cam hooks 27 operate upon the fingers 45 of the plate holders 29 in succession to liftthe plate holders 29' and turn them onthe pins 32. V

The wheel carriers 6 and 7 being located on opposite sides of the stereopticon 5, a plate is swung first from one carrier into position of exposure and jreturned, while a plate from the other carrier is being swung into position of exposure. By this arrangement, a very short period will expire between the exposure of consecutive views, for one or the other of the wheel carriers may be shifted in its step by step movement'by the operation of the dog 14, while a plate from the other carrier isbeing exposed, and moreover, when one roller 20 is being released by the cam 17, the other roller 20 is being forced down. Also by this arrangement a largenumber of views. maybe presented in succession without. materially increasing the. size of the. outfit. Twlce the number of views may be presented in succession with out materially increasing the size of the stereopticon and its automatic-arrangement for shifting the views. Furthermore, by this arrangement either one or two wheel carriers may be used by merely changing the cam 17 to cause reciprocatory movements of the cam hook 527 to shift the plates in succession from and to the positions of exposure, the wheel carrier being moved each step during the interval betweenthe reciprocator movements of the plate from and to the position of exposure. Also the wheel carrier being rotatable about the horizontal axis, the apparatus may be contained in a small volume since the larger dimensions of the plate carrier are located in a vertical plane and beside the stereopticon.

The cam hook 27 operates to shift the plates from their normal position in the carrier wheels to the position of exposure and return the plates with the least possible noise and so that the plates will not be dropped during their transit to and from their position of exposure. The cam hooks 27 are provided with a cam surface extending from the under side of the hook to the top of the hook. The outer ends of the cam hooks 27 pass close to the point of connection and fit in between the fingers a5 and the leg of the U-member 30 of which the enlarged portion 31 forms a part. They slide from the fingers 4-5 to the legs of the lJ-members 80, or vice versa. When the plate is being returned to its normal POSll/lOD in the carrier as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the fingers 45 are placed in such a position with reference to the leg of the U-member 30 that the cam hooks 27 will readily slide from one to the other whereby the plate holder will be held by the cam hook and movement due to gravity, that is, dropping of the plate during its transit will be avoided. During the downward movement of the cam hook 527, the

finger 45 slips over'the under surface of the I hook until the nose of the hook passes and practically fits into the space between the finger and the leg of the ill-member, and then the leg of the U-member rests upon the outer surface oi the cam hook 27. Upon further lowering of the cam hook 27, the plate is allowed to come down into position of exposure, where if it is desired, it may rest upon the top of the cam hook or may rest upon any other suitable device such as a cushion bracket or a bracket having a cushion thereon.

At the expiration of the period of exposure, the cam hook 27 is raised which raises the plate and as the cam hook 27 passes from the leg of the U-member to the finger 45, the plate is again held by the cam hook to prevent dropping of the plate in its rotation on the pin 82. Further movement of the cam hook 27 allows the plate holder to rotate down until the leg of the U-meniber rests upon the rib 37. By this arrangement of parts, the plates are noiseless in their movements back and forth to and from the position of exposure before the stcreopticon 5.

I claim:

1. In a stereopticon, a carrier rotatable about a horizontal axis, plate holders rotatably secured in the periphery of the carrier, mean for moving the carrier step by step to bring the plates in the plane of the position of exposure in succession, means for swinging the plates into the position of exposure.

2. In a stereopticon, a pair of carriers rotatable about the horizontal axis, plate holders pivotally supported in the peripheries of the carriers, means for moving the carriers step by step, the step by step movements of one carrier alternating with the step by step movements of the other carrier to bring the plates in succession in the plane of the position of exposure, means for moving the plates in the position of exposure, the plates of one carrier being moved to and from the position of exposure, while the plates of the other carrier are moved from and to the position of exposure.

3. In a stereopticon, a carrier, plate holders pivotally upported in the carrier, means for moving the carrier step by step to bring the plates in the plane of the position of exposure in succession, the plate holders having fingers, a cam hook for sliding long the fingers and the plate holders to move the plates into position of exposure.

4. In a stereopticon, a carrier, plate holders pivotally supported in the carrier, means for moving the carrier step by step to bring the plates in the plane of the position of exposure in succession, the plate holders having fingers, a cam hook for sliding along the fingers and the plate holders, the nose of the cam hook fitting between the fingers and the plate holders to prevent the dropping of the plates in their transit to and from the position of exposure.

5. In a stereopticon, a pair of carriers, plate holders mounted in the peripheries of the carriers, means for moving the carriers alternately in the step by step movements to bring the plates in the plane of position of exposure in succession, the plate holders having fingers, cam hooks slidable along the fingers and the plate holders to bring the plates of one carrier alternately with the plates of the other carrier into position of exposure.

6. In a stereopticon, a carrier, plate holders pivotally supported in the carrier, means for moving the carrier step by step to bring the plates in the plane of the position of exposure in succession, the plate holders having fingers, a cam hook for sliding along the finger and the plate holders, the nose of the cam hook fitting between the fingers and the plate holders to prevent the dropping of the ing fingers, cam hooks slidable along the plates in their transit to and from the posifingers and the plate holders to bring the tion of exposure, and a cam for operating plates of one carrier alternately with the the cam hook. plates of the other carrier into position of 5 7. In 'a stereopticon, a pair of carriers exposure, and a cam for operating the cam plate holders mounted in the peripherles of hooks. 7

the carriers, means for moving the carriers In testimony whereof, I' have hereunto alternately in the step by step movements to signed my name to this specification. bring the plate in the plane of position of 10 exposure in succession, the plate holders hav- FREDERICK SGHWANHAUSSER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

I 7 Washington, D. 0. Y 

